


Tales of a Reluctant Dragonborn

by DarkAngelLexi



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, F/F, F/M, Friendship/Love, Multi, POV First Person, Slow Build, Swearing, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 14:30:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13836726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAngelLexi/pseuds/DarkAngelLexi
Summary: All of Skyrim believes Thora is the Dragonborn, sent by Talos to help save them from Alduin's onslaught. Thora believes they're crazy. She would much rather lose herself to the far more noble pursuits of coin, drink, and women. Can her travels, and those she meets along the way change the mind of this vulgar, self-serving, and oft times manipulative woman, or will these adventures only push her farther away from her destined path? Can the hurt she's faced in the past be repaired, or will it continue to grow, twisting her?





	Tales of a Reluctant Dragonborn

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first work I've posted... at least on this site. I hope you enjoy it. The character and story are based, at least loosely on my main, heavily modded play through of the game, with some embellishment where needed. Thora can be a pretty dark character at times so this may not be to everybody's taste. For now they should be pretty accurate. I welcome any comments and thoughts you may have and, again, I hope you enjoy. I'm terrible with summaries and tags, so they may update over time.

 

“Shit.”

I groaned, my good eye fluttering open. “Wh… What happened?” Even I barely heard myself speak. _And why does my head feel like two dragons are dueling it out?_ A quiet moan escaped my lips for good measure. _Think Thora! What's the last thing you remember?_ I racked my brain. Trying to recover my memories was like having a rotting tooth pulled. _We were… We'd been sent… Annekke! Annekke sent us to eliminate a group of bandits who’d been hassling the citizens of Dark Water Crossing. She asked us… Us! Lydia! I was with Lydia!_

As my vision faded in, so too did the severity of my circumstances. I'd been locked in a cage, little more than a large kennel, imprisoned within a rusty, iron grid. _This can't be good._ I tried to clamber up to my feet but felt cuffs holding my ankles together. It didn't take long to realize that my wrists were bound together behind my back as well, the rope chafing against my tender skin. With considerable effort I managed to climb to my knees against the cold, dirt floor. _Definitely not good._ A sudden chill and a glance down revealed my armor, clothing, and weapons had been taken. Aside from my underwear, I was naked. On display for whomever may have been behind my capture.

_Lydia._

“Look who's finally awake.” It was a soft, feminine voice that, despite the low volume, seemed to own the room. There was a slight Nordic accent and a manic lilt. “You put up quite a struggle.” Her tone was smooth and silken. It felt as though a web was being spun around my soul, ensnaring me. _Her voice is almost warm_. _I can almost feel the heat coming off of the words. And she's so beautiful…_

She stood in front of the locked gate, bare arms crossed over the chest of her black, low-cut tunic. Long, blond hair cascaded over her shoulders and her eyes… For just an instant they seemed to burn fire red but it must have been the torchlight because when I blinked they were bright blue. _Too bright…_ Her matching leather pants ended in a pair of tall heels that added a couple of inches to her height. A smile shone across her wine-red lips. _So kissable…_

_What is wrong with me!_

“Where’s Lydia!” I demanded, regaining my composure and throwing all of my aggression into the demand. “If you've –”

“I'd be far more concerned about your own situation.” Her tone told me something had surprised her. “Pretty little thing,” she added, licking her upper lip and narrowing her eyes. Her smile turned into something a little more sinister and I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end.

 _There's something not quite right about her._ I couldn't put my finger on what, but something was clearly out of place here.

I glared at her, trying very hard to remember my companion. Lydia was still out there somewhere. I had to remember that and not lose myself in the presence of this woman. _This... very... beautiful woman. Snap out of it!_

“When I get free, and I will,” the last was uttered with a smugness I had no right to at the moment, “I'm going to hack off your head with a rusty ax and shit down your bloody neck hole.” My eye narrowed. “That's a promise.”

This seemed only to delight her. “Such bravado, and such a vulgar mouth.” She tilted her head and for just a moment I thought I saw... _What did I see? I noticed it earlier. I'm sure I did, but now I can't remember. Something to do with her face… Her eyes maybe?_ Whatever it was, the memory was gone as quick as it had appeared. “Perhaps one of my men could put it to better use. Corvis!”

“With pleasure m' lady.” A tall Imperial dressed in furs stepped forward, his dark eyes clouded by lust and power as he looked upon me, staring down at my bare breasts. He cracked his knuckles in what I'm sure was meant to be an intimidating display and I found myself painfully aware of just how many eyes were watching me. _You've been in worse places,_ I told myself though none came to mind.

“Show her what happens when prisoners can't keep their mouths shut.”

I keeled there, watching as Corvis and another raised the gate on my cage. Tensing up, I could hear whispers and hushed laughter in the background as he approached. _Oblivion take me if I'm gonna let him have his way with me. Not without a fight anyway.._ The strange woman just stood there watching me with a crooked grin.

My attention turned as Corvis sauntered into my cage. “By the Gods!” I squinted and crinkled my nose. “You smell like shit!” _What do you think you're doing! Is now really the time to be handing out sass?_ “Matches the look though,” I groaned.

“You little whore!” A loud crack echoed through the cavern silencing the onlookers. I held in my cries and did my best to hold back the tears against the sharp pain in my cheek as he smacked me hard across the face. I closed my eyes and let out several quick breaths. I could taste blood and feel it's warmth dripping down my chin. _You’re gonna have to do better than that. You have no idea what I've been through._

Despite the pain, I grinned when I looked back up at him. “Least I can get fucked.” I spit blood at his feet. _Dibella's tits shut up!_ I couldn't stop myself though. I was on a roll.

The crowd gasped as Corvis' face grew red, his beady eyes widening. The snickers and chortles from his friends were not sitting well. _Stop provoking him!_ I was being stupid. _Why stop now?_

“Bet I've had more women this month then you've had your entire, pathetic life.” I narrowed my eye. “And your mother doesn't count.” I paused. I could almost see steam rising from my new friend. “For either of us,” I added, spitting into the face of fate once more. _This bastard is going to kill you. You know that, right?_

The crowd started taunting him as well. He was clearly growing flustered. “That's it. I'm gonna enjoy shutting you up. He started toward me. I could see his rage in every movement as he started unfastening his trousers. _If he manages to put it in my mouth I'm going to bite it right off. Not that he'll get that far without a fight._

When Corvis drew near, tugging on his pants, I threw all of my weight into a head butt, slamming my forehead into his crotch. He doubled over in a satisfying display. His face went from red to purple in a heartbeat as he clutched his balls. I glanced at the woman who merely arched an eyebrow. _Nice to see I can surprise her._ Her attention seemed more focused on my chin.

“You…” My assailant gasped. “You stupid little cunt!” When he recovered enough to act, Corvis brought his knee up hard connecting with my chin. There was a loud snap and I was suddenly writhing on my back, groaning against the almost overpowering pain and coughing up blood. Hard as I tried to be strong I cried out and a few stray tears emerged.

Corvis was far from finished. He rolled me into my side with his heel and kicked me in the ribs several times. Small mercy that I was already in so much pain I scarcely felt those blows, but I did hear ribs cracking. Coughing up another mouth full of blood, and possibly a tooth, I looked up at him as he drew the sword from his back. _Do it! I'm ready! Just end it!_ I couldn't speak the words but I was thinking them with all my might. As he brought the blade down the moment seemed to stretch into eternity. _I wonder if I'll feel it when the blade servers my neck?_ I closed my eyes, awaiting the end.

It never came.

“That's enough!” The leader spoke and suddenly her voice was the only sound in the room. When I looked up I was surprised to see Corvis frozen in place, his blade almost caressing my neck. I let out the breath I'd been holding. _So much for release._ It was not unusual to see a woman in charge of a bandit group. Nord women in particular came from hearty stock, but there was more to her than that. She had some kind of hold on these people. _Even you're feeling it a little._ Nobody seemed eager to invite her wrath.

“Sheath your sword Corvis. Aside from your pitiful pride she didn't damage anything you actually use.” A chorus of laughter followed and, red faced though he might have been as he glared down at me, he obeyed, mouthing the word 'Later' so only I could see. _Can't wait._ He sneered at the woman, a brave move no doubt, but walked away in silence.

“You have spirit, I'll give you that… And maybe something else.” The beautiful woman crinkled her nose. “I can think of more than one slaver who'd pay a hefty price for the opportunity to break that spirit.” She tilted her head, eyeing me a bit more critically. _Her eyes are amazing and…_ I shook my head slowly. _Why can't I think straight? Is she doing something to me?_

_I'd like her to do things to me…_

“Of course my men could use an outlet for their aggression.” She held her tongue for a moment, a ponderous fire alight behind those eyes. “I could simply leave you to them. I'm certain Corvis would like a rematch without my watchful eyes over his shoulder.” She came closer and, despite the pain my breath caught in my throat as she crouched down. I felt her fingers in my short, white hair. “I could also just keep you to warm my own bed. It's not an honor I normally grant our prisoners, but there's something special about you.”

I wanted to recoil but I didn't. There was something off about her touch, something not quite right. _Why am I so transfixed?_ I stared into her eyes. _Her magnificent eyes._ Even the pain seemed far off.

_Did she just say I was special?_

Her captor drew a thin, jeweled dagger and touched the tip to the patch over my left eye. I shuddered as I felt the cold steel trace the scar that ran down my cheek from beneath before she held the tip over my good eye.

“I could just kill you and be done with it. You killed several of my people. However, that seems… too easy a death for you.” The steel point spinning above my eye should have held my full attention, but I hung on every word she had to say. “Perhaps I'll take your remaining eye as a trophy. It's so pretty and blue.” Her voice was low and breathy. “I could blind you and let you fight it out in the ring. A devious smile crossed her lips. _Her teeth! They're… Why can't I focus? I know what she is but every time I think it I get all cloudy. I need to… Um… But… What was I thinking about?_

 _Did she just call me pretty?_ My heart skipped a beat.

She stood up, sheathing her weapon. “You've certainly given me a lot to think about.” The bandit leader turned to one of the nearby women, a Redguard judging by the darkness of her skin. “Get her some food, water, and a slop bucket.” She turned back to me, grinning. “I'll let you figure out how to make that work while you’re bound.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, my sense of sarcasm returning along with the pain of my recent injuries. Just over a month ago my head had been on the chopping block. I had since faced down several dragons but this woman frightened me more than any of that. It wasn't the pain. I knew how to deal with that. _She could do so much worse than hurt my body._ Somehow I knew she could. It was hard to remember what I'd been thinking about during the encounter. It was important, and it had something to do with her, but the rest was far away behind a dense fog. _I just know she scares me… and there's something so damn enticing about her. I need to find Lydia and get out of here fast. What can I do though?_

I had no weapons or armor. With my hands bound even the pitiful magic at my disposal was lost to me. I could try and shout again. _I might catch a few of them off guard, but then what?_ More than a few of the bandits I'd seen had bows across their shoulders. _If they're worth their salt, and I doubt that woman tolerates weakness, they'll take me down before I make it ten feet. Assuming I get out of this cage in the first place._ I thought of Lokir back in Helgen trying to run from the Imperials. _I thought him a coward but now I'm considering the same option._

Sneaking into their hideout and picking them off one or two at a time had seemed such a good plan. _Especially with Lydia at my side._ Trying to face them down all at once, alone and without a weapon? _That's suicide._ So, what went wrong? _I suppose we were both distracted by what happened last night._

I tried to put a stop to that line of thinking. _Whatever happened, or didn't happen is in the past. I need to think about the now._ Not that I could easily think about much with the stinging in my jaw or the dull, steady pain in my abdomen. _Where is she anyway?_ Worry started to take over again. Was she lying somewhere dead? Had she made it out? _I hope she made it out._ My own life choices had taken me to this point. Maybe I deserved this. _But she doesn't. Why does everybody who gets close to me have to get hurt?_

“Are you okay?” The meek voice came from my left. Turning my head, despite the pain I realized there was more than one cage. There were several just like mine, many occupied, all centered around what must have been the ring that woman mentioned. My heart jumped when I realized Lydia was not among them. _Maybe she really did make it out._ The soft voice came from the cage beside mine.

The girl was probably a few years younger than me, definitely no more than seventeen. Tattered rags preserved her modesty, but barely. _More than I can say for myself._ I glanced down at my chest and became a little self conscious. I had never considered nudity a big deal when it was on my terms. This most certainly was not on my terms. _At least they left my underwear. I'll have to thank them. With a nice, sharp arrow to their throats._ I managed to sit up, working my knees in to cover my chest. This new girl was thin. Far too thin. _Bastards probably only feeding her enough to keep her alive._ Her long, blond hair was stringy and dirty, her eyes hazy. She was sitting on the floor of her cage in much the same position as I was, her arms wrapped around her knees. _She's looking at me like I'm Talos or something. Wish people would stop doing that._

“I've had worse.” I winced, only now realizing how much it hurt to talk. I followed that with a cocky smile and some false bravado for good measure. I'm sure it looked as forced as it was.

“I've never seen anyone stand up to them like that.” For an instant I saw a spark in her eye, like the dying embers of a campfire but just as quickly it was gone. She started to fidget, picking a stale chunk of bread up from the ground and nibbling around the green bits. _Bread shouldn't be crunchy._ “Thought he'd take your head off for certain.”

“ People been having a hard time with that lately it would seem. I'm Thora by the way.”

Now that the show was over nobody seemed to be paying us much attention anymore. I wiggled my way closer to the side of my cage, grunting painfully with each movement. _What I wouldn't give for a healing potion right now._ Having this girl to talk to might help keep the pain at bay at least.

“I'm Serlia.” Serlia smiled a smile I knew all too well. _That's a smile that's trying to hide a shitload of pain_.

“How long have you been here Serlia?” Even though nobody was watching I kept my voice low.

“What month is it?”

My heart sank. “Hearthfire.”

She did some math of the sort that involved heavy use of her fingers. After some deliberation the young woman answered. “About three months then.” Serlia took a sip of what I could only assume was water from an old tin cup. It sure didn't look like water.

My stomach sank. _Three months! Living like this! Just what in Oblivion did Annekke get me into here?_ I couldn't even begin to imagine what horrors they'd put this poor girl through in that time. Was I looking at my own future in her cloudy eyes? The thought gave me chills.

“Do they keep all of their prisoners that long?” I couldn't keep the trembling from my words.

Serlia shook her head slowly. “Usually only women who can't fight or be sold. We're kept around to provide,” she paused a moment, her eyes growing more distant, “comfort.” She went silent another moment and I thought I'd lost her. “You impressed Miranda. She'll probably try and sell you to a slaver. You're very pretty, even with the eye patch. You'll probably bring in more coin than they've seen in a long time.”

My face went white. “Not if I can help it,” I whispered. _I’d make them kill me first._

“Knock it off you two. No talkin'.” Another woman stood at the gate. She was short with the telltale dark skin and hair of a Redguard. There was a severe look on her face, heightened by the jagged scar that ran down the left side of her face. She reminded me a little off Saadia, which brought forth some pretty complex emotions. _Just another person who trusted me._

A couple men lifted the gate and she stepped inside. In one hand she had an old, wooden bucket. She held two bowls in the other. She glared at me but I could see something else in her look, far off in the background. _Curiosity._ She set the bucket down. “This one's for piss and shit.” She dropped the two bowls. “These are for food and water. Keep'em close to the gate or you won't get any, and try not to confuse them.” She added the last with a wry grin. Without another word she turned and left, the gate crashing down behind her.

_She seems nice._

“Who was that?” I asked, her appraising eyes still foremost on my mind.

“Nadia,” Serlia said. “Crew used to belong to her until Miranda showed up. Not sure why they keep her alive. Mostly just cleans out our buckets a couple times a week now. Don't see her much 'sides that.”

“Probably why Miranda let's her live,” I thought aloud. _So she can humiliate her by putting her on shit detail. Now that's cruel._ It was something I might be able to use though. Strife amongst the ranks. I still wasn't sure why everybody was so obedient of Miranda. _Except, I do know. I know exactly why. I just can't… Every time I try to think about her too much I… Why can't I remember?_ It was so Damn frustrating knowing I had memories that just seemed to be gone.

_Nadia had to crave revenge though, to see that bitch's head on a pike. If I could just get a moment alone with her…_

A sudden commotion cut off my thoughts. What's happening?” I asked, trying to peer out through the grid.

“They must've caught somebody else,” Serlia offered absently.

I inched my way toward the front of my cage, hobbling as best I could on my knees, trying to ignore the constant pain. Men were cheering and I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could just make out a couple of men forcing a woman into the center of the ring.

_No._

The woman's legs were chained, forcing short, uncertain steps that nearly face planted her a number of times. Like me, her armor was gone but they'd had the decency to leave her clothing at least. Her wrists were bound behind her back. I shuddered as I watched them push her to the ground.

_No. No._

The unnatural lighting of the torches dancing off the cavern wall made it difficult to recognize specific features, but the long, dark hair and my suspicions and fears were all I needed.

“Lydia!”

My loyal Housecarl looked up, eyes wide. “Thane!”

This got everyone's attention and their eyes one again landed on me. Even Miranda, who'd been at the end of the procession leading Lydia in looked at me in mild surprise, mouthing, 'Thane.' The corner of her full lips curled up.

“Well, isn't that interesting,” she said, her words covered in grease. “It would seem we have a guest of some importance with us.” She started toward me and my stomach started doing somersaults again. _What is she doing to me?_

“Leave her alone!” As soon as the words left Lydia's lips, her jaw was meet with a swift kick knocking her on her side. I could hear her groaning and it was tearing me apart. _This is all my fault._

“Do what you want with the new one. She doesn't matter.” Miranda didn't even look back. Her eyes – _those not quite right eyes_ – were glued on me. A couple of men started manhandling Lydia, and I could only imagine the lust and desire in their eyes.

_I have to get her out of here._

All thoughts of rebellion and defiance slipped away. _If it was just me I wouldn't care. They could kill me, beat me, rape me, do whatever they wanted._ I would fight them every step of the way, maybe even eventually convince Nadia to cooperate, but everything had just changed. Lydia was my friend, possibly the best friend I'd ever had. Maybe there was something else bubbling beneath as well. Either way I'd be damned if I sat back and watched while she was defiled and degraded.

“Wait!” The force of my voice even surprised me. “Do whatever you want to me. I'll cooperate fully, but don't hurt her!” My face was pressed against the iron grid. I could feel tears on the way. “Please!”

A long, tense moment passed. The look on her face told me Miranda was enjoying this.

“How gallant,” she said. “Put the other bitch in a cage. She's not to be harmed.” Miranda crouched, looking me in the eye. “For now,” she said whispered quietly before walking away.

I watched with a small measure of relief as Lydia was lifted to her feet and half led, half carried to another cage across the room.

I collapsed on onto my back, tears flowing.

“Shit.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
